Is trying to make your gun "look cool" okay?

I guess I just wanna know what others think of putting together builds just for the sake of making a cool looking firearm.

I was browsing Rimfirecentral and saw a semi custom 10/22 and just thought: " That optic is HUGE! Must weigh a ton and be totally impractical!"

I think I may do a build like that, even if it is totally impractical.

Anyone else do things to guns just to make them "look cool"?

Pics are awesome if you have a good example! :)

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Trunk Monkey

September 3, 2013, 11:30 PM

I don't know if I'd build something totally impractical just for looks but if asthetics are important to you why not?

silicosys4

September 3, 2013, 11:36 PM

If its your property. It's ok to do whatever you want to it within the boundaries of the law.
I'm not a fan of tacticool, but there are too many custom 1911's with needless bells and whistles out there to pass judgement
As far as gun toys, to each their own.

I guess I just wanna know what others think of putting together builds just for the sake of making a cool looking firearm.
Whenever I use to buy something unusual or expensive my Wife would ask me,
"Is that something you really want/need or is it just something to impress the other kids at the range?" :D

montanaoffroader

September 4, 2013, 12:28 AM

Of course it's cool to build a firearm for looks......as long you have a tang peep sight and maybe a few brass studs............;)

tyeo098

September 4, 2013, 12:41 AM

I was tired of my slide stop ans safety rusting due to my sweaty-arsed self carrying it everyday.

Function over looks every time for me. I could care less what a tool such as a firearm looks like as long as it goes bang every time. I've added flashlights and such not for looks but to serve a function.

X-JaVeN-X

September 4, 2013, 01:11 AM

The key part of your question is "your gun"....it doesn't matter what I or anyone else thinks...It's your gun. If you like it, then do it.

TCB in TN

September 4, 2013, 01:36 AM

Most of my guns fill 1 of three purposes. Self-defense, sentimental/collector value, or just for fun. Its your money, if you like it, and it meets a want/need for you then its all good.

My youngest son was big on video games, loved a couple of his first person shooter games because he could customize his guns in the game. Came to me and asked me if we couple paint his little Marlin 60. A couple of rattle can's later he ended up with a very cool little Zebra stripped .22lr. I had maybe $60 in the gun, and the look on his face when he shot it, was worth a lot more. (He still has it and loves it)

Be safe, but it it makes you happy then it is no body's business except yours.

(My oldest son later did his, and their best friend did his as well)

medalguy

September 4, 2013, 01:54 AM

Yeah. I usually don't like the "tacticool" guns but last year I ran into a really good deal I just couldn't pass up. It was a 37mm launcher made just like the M203 so I just HAD to put it on a stock AR15 I had sitting around. I don't have a pic of mine, sorry, this is one I grabbed from the net but it does look just like mine, a Vietnam era M16 with 40mm launcher slung under it. Shoots pretty good too.

JoePfeiffer

September 4, 2013, 02:10 AM

Speaking as a cz82 fan... How is a laser on one just a ''look cool''?

It's your gun, do anything to it you like (as long as it's safe). But if I think it's ridiculous I'll laugh.

nope... Id rather spend money on high end triggers/ trigger jobs and barrels where most people would never notice.

javjacob

September 4, 2013, 02:52 AM

just my opinion but I hate tacticool guns and think they are butt uglier than fitos you know what. most of the so called functional junk isn't actually functional in the real world anyway. If the military doesn't use it then its no good... if it worked in the real world the military would be using it.
It also mind boggles me with all the people who are preparing for a zombie out break... really?! zombies are science fiction

JohnBiltz

September 4, 2013, 03:20 AM

I'm generally on the practical side of things but consider 10/22s to be different. There are 2 reasons to own a 10/22 and modifying them is one of them.

Carl N. Brown

September 4, 2013, 06:36 AM

I bought a used Charter Arms Explorer II pistol since its Mauser Broomhandle look always appealed to me. I was a bit disappointed because it was clumsier than my real Mauser C96 Broomhandle pistol, and actually not as handy as my Armalite AR7 rifle.

So I decided to dress it up as a "space gun" with odds and ends I had at hand, including a long eye relief pistol scope:
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=152971&d=1321633307
Since then, I have used a old scope mount clamp (1" over 3/4") to attach a laser sight to the left side of the scope (gripping the gun with left hand around the magazine, the left thumb is in position to operate the on/off switch). Mostly for funnsies, but maybe I could use it to snipe squirrels.

MedWheeler

September 4, 2013, 07:36 AM

I've done up my 10/22 some, too, but more for handling than cool factor, because it is a home defense weapon. All I did was the Tapco stock and sling (the latter of which I admit was pretty much entirely for "cool".) It already had a scope on it from 20+ years ago, but just a simple Bushnell 3x9 one for rimfires.

Of course it's okay. No different than dressing up one's ride some, and lots of us do that.

MedWheeler

September 4, 2013, 07:37 AM

javajacob writes:

If the military doesn't use it then its no good... if it worked in the real world the military would be using it.

So, you're driving a HMMWV to work every day? I'm jealous.

NoirFan

September 4, 2013, 07:51 AM

I will realistically probably never have to use my guns to defend myself. On the other hand, it's a certainty that I will look at them almost every single day. Therefore, to maximize utility, it is important for me to have guns that are as cool looking as possible.

My idea of 'cool' is old school steel, parkerizing and birch stocks rather than tactical blacktical, but live and let live I say, as long as people are honest about their motives when accessorizing.

JFtheGR8

September 4, 2013, 07:58 AM

I put a quad rail on my AR, not the free float type, and all it has done is make the rifle front end heavy. I'll be changing it out for a Magpul one soon. It does look "cooler" though I guess. It's just not practical since it upsets the balance and handling characteristics of the rifle.

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Officers'Wife

September 4, 2013, 07:59 AM

To each their own. To me firearms are simply tools, if an addition increases a unit's utility it's justified otherwise it's just an added expense that doesn't help pay the bills. This philosophy applies to cars, computers and hand tools as well.

mrt.bolt

September 4, 2013, 08:21 AM

The most that I have done is add a sling and scope to one of my rifles. I'm not into all the bling.

bannockburn

September 4, 2013, 08:34 AM

I'm more into the practical application of a gun rather than the tactical modifications you see on a lot of guns these days.

Probably the only "cool" looking gun I would be interested in having would be a vintage '60's era Man From U.N.C.L.E. gun.

lobo9er

September 4, 2013, 08:43 AM

Even the stiffest of the gun community deep down inside has a "cool" preference. Would you try to make them look not cool?

Justin

September 4, 2013, 10:12 AM

Form follows function.

I don't care how awesome your gun looks, if tarting it up like the cover of a 12 year old girl's school notebook negatively impacts how the gun shoots or how you interact with it, there's not much point.

CajunBass

September 4, 2013, 10:19 AM

I won't do it. I like my guns, cars, trucks, etc., to look "stock out of the box" but it's ok with me if you do it.

mdauben

September 4, 2013, 11:55 AM

I guess I just wanna know what others think of putting together builds just for the sake of making a cool looking firearm.
You could make an argument against non-functional modifications for a firearm meant for SD or Hunting, I suppose, but in the end its your gun to do with as you wish. Who cares what anyone else things of it if you like it? ;)

Trent

September 4, 2013, 11:56 AM

ooh, an absurd guns thread!! Like a laser rangefinding scope on a pea-shooter.

http://i.imgur.com/FfvDzzj.jpg

Was a joke, after I shot distinguished expert in Highpower Sporting rifle with a bone stock PS90 on a 200 yard course using the factory non magnified optics, I came home and tossed a scope on a still-sightless tri-rail version I had in the safe. Full thread is on here somewhere.

Comrade Mike

September 4, 2013, 12:26 PM

Long as it shoots to my satisfaction I don't care how it looks. That being said ill take wood and steel over plastic and aluminum

Reloadron

September 4, 2013, 12:59 PM

Is trying to make your gun "look cool" okay?

Well I figure it this way. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You plop your hard earned bucks down for a gun, any gun, you have the right to make that gun look however you want it to look. The gun becomes an extension of your personal taste as it well should.

I have seen guns and trucks that leave me open mouth wondering why someone would screw up a nice gun or truck. I mean if my dog's face was as ugly as that gun or truck I would shave his butt and walk him backwards.

However, that is here nor there as the only person that gun or truck needs to please is the person who owns it. If they are pleased with it then I am happy for them. What I think really matters not. :)

Just My Take
Ron

wyohome

September 4, 2013, 01:12 PM

It is like putting a spoiler on a Corolla. If you like it, great, don't expect everyone to take it seriously.

the cool dudes are what keep the accessory market alive, it's not me but C'est la vie, they (cool dudes) must have more cash than me because I'm struggling just to feed my guns let alone make them fancy.

Arkansas Paul

September 4, 2013, 02:26 PM

I prefer function over looks, but if it's your gun and you prefer it the other way around, I certainly have no right to tell you what you should or shouldn't do.

gym

September 4, 2013, 02:31 PM

If it's a carry gun, I want it stripped down for low weight and easy concealment, otherwise it's your money.

Zytel

September 4, 2013, 02:44 PM

The key part of your question is "your gun"....it doesn't matter what I or anyone else thinks...It's your gun. If you like it, then do it.

Totally agree. As long as your taticool stuff doesn't endanger me (or my kids) in the lane next to you, I don't care about what you've done to your firearm.

ball3006

September 4, 2013, 02:46 PM

All my guns look "cool" if I am holding them.....................chris3

M2 Carbine

September 4, 2013, 05:21 PM

Speaking as a cz82 fan... How is a laser on one just a ''look cool''?

I installed the rail and laser on the CZ82 just to see if I could make a decent looking setup. It turned out better than I expected.
The gun actually makes a good, accurate, fast, low light gun but I didn't/don't want to use it for a defense pistol since I have other guns for the job.

So, the project was done just to see how it would look (cool) and function. The laser is now on a better defense gun.

Now this is not only not cool, it is down right ugly.
A Red Dot sight on a good looking Winchester 9422 just looks bad.
But I have to use a lot of Red Dot sights on a lot of guns because of 75 year old eyes.
Since the picture I have installed a smaller Red Dot that doesn't look as bad.

Now this is not only not cool, it is down right ugly.
A Red Dot sight on a good looking Winchester 9422 just looks bad.
But I have to use a lot of Red Dot sights on a lot of guns because of 75 year old eyes.
Since the picture I have installed a smaller Red Dot that doesn't look as bad.

But if I see an old timer pick up a rifle like that and start ringing steel silhouettes at a fair clip, I'm surely not going to pick on him.

Much. :)

Whatever keeps you on the firing line, good for you, good for me. Been trying to talk my grandpa in to going to the range for a decade now, he won't budge, says his eyes are bad. Think I'll show him that pic. See if I can change his mind.

MikeJackmin

September 5, 2013, 12:54 PM

I read a book a few years ago that really changed my thinking on these sorts of questions. It's called The Substance Of Style (http://www.amazon.com/The-Substance-Style-Aesthetic-Consciousness/dp/0060933852/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378395088&sr=8-1&keywords=substance+of+style) and the basic point was that it matters, in a real way, how things look and feel.

We tend to trivialize the importance of that stuff, and when we do, this can cause us to fool ourselves. Yes, style should never inhibit the function of an important tool, and yes, like anything else, it should not be taken to extremes. But by the same token, I've never met a craftsman who did not consider the physical beauty of his tools and materials to be important to him. Learning to see and appreciate beauty is part of what makes his work genuine. I don't think you can really be a craftsman of any sort without it.

How many of us here "would not mind" finding a large ugly scratch across the surface of our guns? Of _course_ looks matter. They matter a lot. An entire industry exists just to provide refinishing services to firearms, and believe me, it's not just about rust protection.

Similarly, we all agree that a well-built gun is a gun who's parts fit cleanly and smoothly and crisply together. Any little wiggle or grit or binding or mushiness in the feel of any part attracts our immediate and negative attention, even if the function is otherwise perfect.

Only a small fraction of our guns are genuinely just utilitarian tools, even if we like to think of them that way. Enjoying firearms is, in a large part, all about enjoying aesthetics. The look, the feel, the balance, the grace, the beauty. Why not make the most of it?

For some of us, deliberate attempts to make something beautiful will always fall short, while the 'accidental' beauty of a purely functional piece is something to discover, something to learn to appreciate. I fall into this camp myself, even as I admit that the beauty of such things is, more often than not, far from accidental.

When a guy like John Browning designs a pistol, he does not set out to make it pretty, but you can bet that the beauty of the design is central to his vision and his process. It's part of the whole picture, part of the whole truth. So why not appreciate it openly?

Mat, not doormat

September 5, 2013, 02:28 PM

People have wanted their weapons to look cool since the beginning of time. Usually this has taken the form of engraving, inlay, and the like. Modern weapons, however, being largely things of black plastic, matte black, and stamped steel, are less amenable to such traditional embellishments. Thus people resort to hanging geegaws and doodads of dubious usefulness on them. Not, as is often claimed, as performance enhancements, but as decoration.

Me personally, I'm certainly not averse to a gun looking good, but it needs to work, first.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

Trent

September 6, 2013, 11:19 AM

People have wanted their weapons to look cool since the beginning of time. Usually this has taken the form of engraving, inlay, and the like.

http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/00934174_001_624x352.jpg

Not sure of the carbon dating on that one.

But "old".

:)

BullfrogKen

September 6, 2013, 11:32 AM

I stenciled Domari Nolo on the butt stock of the AR I use in High Power with green spray paint. Does that count?

baz

September 6, 2013, 11:35 AM

Function over looks every time for me.
I'm more into the practical application of a gun rather than the tactical modifications you see on a lot of guns these days.
Form follows function.

I don't care how awesome your gun looks, if tarting it up like the cover of a 12 year old girl's school notebook negatively impacts how the gun shoots or how you interact with it, there's not much point.
^^^What they said.

Some of my modifications are decidedly "uncool" -- at least to some -- like the "Scout Scope" on my Garand. When I posted a pic here, somebody demurred. But I'm vision challenged, and I bought my Garand to shoot, not look at, so the scoped stayed. So I generally ignore what people think as "cool" or "tacticool" and just outfit the weapons to my own taste and needs.

Trent

September 6, 2013, 11:37 AM

I stenciled Domari Nolo on the butt stock of the AR I use in High Power with green spray paint. Does that count?

Of course it does.

I took a factory-new H&K 91 clone once and dropped on a set of original, beat to hell German surplus H&K G3 furniture. Makes the rifle look all battered - the german stock set was in horrible shape, finish wise. Over time the receiver was beat up, scratched, pummeled by brass ejecting, and is almost matching now. Looks like an authentic G3 one might pull off the rack in some German national defense armory that's seen too much field use.

Didn't add any capabilities, or subtract them, just changes the look to be an old weathered warhorse.

Beauty is in the eye. Others might look at it and see a neglected, worn out rifle. I look at it and see an old friend.

ID-shooting

September 6, 2013, 11:56 AM

Like custom cars and bikes, guns are works of art too. May not be my cup of tea but I can appreciate the work and talent that goes into it on a project well done.

I have a friend who is trying to make a 9mm sub caliber RPG and AT4 just for shock value at the range LOL (bored machinist). Totally impractical but would be awesome to see the looks on the faces of the old guys when he opens his bag, whips one out and shoulders it, especially at the indoor range.

Cranky CJ

September 6, 2013, 01:35 PM

Never been into dressing things up 'tacti-cool', however, I did change out the grips on a revolver because I liked how the others "looked" -so yes I've done it.

460Kodiak

September 6, 2013, 03:29 PM

Yes, yes it is ok. In fact that is one of the things I tell people shopping for a their first gun.

The "cooler" you feel a gun is, the more you love it. The more you love it, the more likely you are to dry fire it, live fire it, develope muscle memory, and become proficient with it.

I actually consider personalization, customizing, and "coolifying" a gun to be vital aspects of being a skilled shooter.

It also inspires proper gun upkeep. When I hear someone say "I only clean my gun about every 1000 rounds." I think "Hmm, you must not like it very much."

Claude Clay

September 6, 2013, 03:59 PM

its what pleases you -- it is your $$ after-all (taxes and fees are paid)

just add that what pleases your eye now may not so much as the years go by.
the days of $60 scratch & dent's are gone so i'd be loath to destroy potential future
value for what may be 'cool' today.
but on the 3rd hand...if it pleases ua -- go for it

Reloadron

September 6, 2013, 04:45 PM

460 Kodiak:

I actually consider personalization, customizing, and "coolifying" a gun to be vital aspects of being a skilled shooter.

OK, that said why is it that when we look at the shooters shooting matches like NRA High Power their rifles are pretty much lacking whistles and bells? Rifles like those seen in this link? (https://www.google.com/search?q=NRA+Match+Shooters+Rifles&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=AC4qUozmM7O-4AP1iYHIBw&ved=0CE4QsAQ&biw=1920&bih=900) Why was it in 1969 the Marine Corps handed me an M14 stock rifle and taught me how to place round after round in the black at 500 meters in the prone position. Sorry but I do not see "coolifying" a rifle (or much any gun) as instilling the needed disciplines in a truly successful match great shooters. I guess I just have to disagree with that statement.

Ron

460Kodiak

September 6, 2013, 08:39 PM

OK, that said why is it that when we look at the shooters shooting matches like NRA High Power their rifles are pretty much lacking whistles and bells? Rifles like those seen in this link? Why was it in 1969 the Marine Corps handed me an M14 stock rifle and taught me how to place round after round in the black at 500 meters in the prone position. Sorry but I do not see "coolifying" a rifle (or much any gun) as instilling the needed disciplines in a truly successful match great shooters. I guess I just have to disagree with that statement.

Well man, I consider it vital because it will inspire handling and practice as stated in the below comment.

The "cooler" you feel a gun is, the more you love it. The more you love it, the more likely you are to dry fire it, live fire it, develope muscle memory, and become proficient with it.

I certainly agree with you that good training, handling techniques, discipline, and practice will teach anyone how to shoot any gun. Sight picture, largly, is sight picture, recoil management is recoil management, and learning true marksmanship, as it sounds like you did, is scientific. Some people have a natural ability as well. Thanks for your service by the way.

I did not mean to say or imply that having a ""cool" gun will magically make you a better shooter. I just mean that it will help an average shooter, (not a soldier, or competitor) learn faster, through an inspiration to practice. Yes there are lots of people who shoot bare bones guns at an expert level.

For example, I had a full sized pistol I did not think was that great. I shot it fine, but was never very inspired to practice with it even though it was my home defense gun. As a result, I got rid of it because I realized I was more proficient with another gun because I practiced with it, and realized I really just liked that gun more because I thought it was cool. I own no GLOCKS because I don't find them pleasing to the eye, or very cool. I have shot one, and shot it well, but I know if I bought one, I just wouldn't shoot it, or develope true proficiency with it.

So I think the word "vital" is maybe what is bugging you about my original comment. Perhaps a better way to say it is that I think having a gun that an average shooter finds "cool" will help inspire practice, and increase proficiency with the use of that firearm, just by way of that shooter liking the gun. Maybe not vital, but I think it helps. Better?

BSA1

September 6, 2013, 09:04 PM

Methinks the couple of posters who are so dead set against changing the appearance of firearms need to get away from the computer and go outside to see real life.

Don't take life to serious. After all you are not going to get out of it alive.

06

September 6, 2013, 09:11 PM

Guess the question is--do you want a gun for show or for go? Will it stand harsh treatment-rain, mud, dropped, used as a club or shield? "Cool" may let you down if the going gets tough.

DammitBoy

September 6, 2013, 09:33 PM

Everyone's definition of "cool" is different...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8064/8229017896_f49a9a0e58_z.jpg

This is one of my idea's of cool, a tribute to Angelina Jolie's gun in the movie 'Wanted'.

RetiredUSNChief

September 6, 2013, 09:35 PM

There are really only two questions that have to be answered to figure this out:

1. Is it your gun?

2. Do you want to make it "look cool"?

If the answer to both of these is "yes", then it's OK to make your gun look cool.

It might look stupid, silly, or impractical to others, but they are totally free to do (or not do) to their own whatever they wish.

:)

Reloadron

September 6, 2013, 10:34 PM

So I think the word "vital" is maybe what is bugging you about my original comment. Perhaps a better way to say it is that I think having a gun that an average shooter finds "cool" will help inspire practice, and increase proficiency with the use of that firearm, just by way of that shooter liking the gun. Maybe not vital, but I think it helps. Better?

I can agree with that. Way back in the thread's beginning I mentioned it really matters not what I think of a tacticool gun. It only matters it makes the shooter happy in which case I am happy for the shooter. My only point in my last post was I did not see coolness or tacticool as vital got good marksmanship. Again, just my opinion. Matters not really.

Ron

Reloadron

September 6, 2013, 10:39 PM

Methinks the couple of posters who are so dead set against changing the appearance of firearms need to get away from the computer and go outside to see real life.

Don't take life to serious. After all you are not going to get out of it alive.
Just on the off chance that comment was aimed at me please go back and read what I mentioned in post #33. I am not at all opposed to changing the appearance of a firearm. I figure if it belongs to someone they have every right to change how it looks or modify it in any way they wish.

Ron

stressed

September 6, 2013, 10:54 PM

Damn M2, nice collection!

For "looks" I have numerous 9mm carbines that were military SMG's at one point in their lives. I like that they are quiet, accurate for 9mm and have pretty much no recoil.

larryh1108

September 7, 2013, 09:14 AM

I think having a gun that an average shooter finds "cool" will help inspire practice, and increase proficiency with the use of that firearm, just by way of that shooter liking the gun.

I think this sums it up as well as anything that can be said. If you like it and it makes you handle it and practice with it more then it is a good thing.

Trent

September 7, 2013, 12:35 PM

Having a gun that the average shooter finds cool = shooting better is not quite right.

Having a gun that YOU find cool (interesting, whatever) = shooting better is still not quite right (I have a lot of *really flipping cool* belt fed and 50 BMG rifles that are safe queens).

Having a gun that is practical and suits you well, well, now THAT will make you shoot better and practice more.

Having a good training (with instructor) and practice regimen, well, that'll make you shoot even better.

Shooting is a deteriorating skill, if you aren't out once a month practicing, you are moving backwards, not even maintaining skill level. If you don't get periodic good instruction (conventional teacher, or getting your butt handed to you at a competition - peer instruction) - then your learning will progress at a slower rate.

You want to get better, grab whatever gun you have and go learn how to use it.

dmazur

September 7, 2013, 01:06 PM

It's America, and (so far) it is a land of relative freedom.

So we have "tuner cars" with more air dams, spoilers and flares than you would believe possible.

And "antique cars" with original parts, carefully repainted and restored.

And "jeeps", modified for mud-crawling, including diamond plate on the corners.

While car - firearms analogies often fail (especially when discussing 2A), I believe thinking of guns this way makes a certain amount of sense.

There are certain groups who view things as "good", and others view them as frivolous or even downright stupid.

Personally, I applaud all of these efforts at personalization. As long as it doesn't stray into something dangerous, I don't see the harm. Except perhaps to create divisiveness among gun owners, based on the different types of visual appearances.

Like the tuner cars. I really don't care what they look like, as long as the drivers follow the traffic laws and don't endanger others.

But if someone expects a tricked-out M4 means they don't have to follow safety rules at our range? Not going to happen...

Officers'Wife

September 7, 2013, 02:26 PM

Having a gun that the average shooter finds cool = shooting better is not quite right.

Having a gun that YOU find cool (interesting, whatever) = shooting better is still not quite right (I have a lot of *really flipping cool* belt fed and 50 BMG rifles that are safe queens).

Having a gun that is practical and suits you well, well, now THAT will make you shoot better and practice more.

Having a good training (with instructor) and practice regimen, well, that'll make you shoot even better.

Shooting is a deteriorating skill, if you aren't out once a month practicing, you are moving backwards, not even maintaining skill level. If you don't get periodic good instruction (conventional teacher, or getting your butt handed to you at a competition - peer instruction) - then your learning will progress at a slower rate.

You want to get better, grab whatever gun you have and go learn how to use it.
Hi Trent,

I remember a few years ago one of the employees bought the cutest little .22 caliber rifle with a wood stock. He replaced the wood with a stock that looked like #9 wire and a forearm that looked like a milk jug melted over too hot a fire. After discovering he could no longer hit anything with the rifle he sold it to my uncle for about a tenth of what he paid for it.

My uncle took it and a seasoned stick of wild cherry to an old craftsman near Knox who fit all new "furniture" for the weapon. After the "uncooling" process the little rifle was as accurate as any I've ever seen in that old man's hands. Cool, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

captain awesome

September 7, 2013, 03:30 PM

As others have said; Cool is in the eye of the beholder and is highly subjective.

Cool can be a 3x9 hunting scope atop a deep blue steel bolt action paired with a polished shiny deep redish brown stock with irregular patterns in The wood, or iron wood grips Made from a Root burl On a nickel plated revolver.

Cool can be a stailainless steel 1911 with cocobolo grips and every internal upgrade you can find or afford.

Cool can be an ar15 with a 1-4 power scope and red dot on top of that with a light, an infrared laser and nightvision, forgrip handle, colapsing stock, hogue grip, bipod and range finder all painted in desert tan to match. ( not my cup of tea, but to each his own)

My point is that you would be hard pressed to find someone that has never picked something or modified something or built something one way over another because they thought it would look nicer(in essence; cooler) the way they chose, or even "does something" they think is cool but basicly uneeded. But NO ONE goes entirely by functionality with everything in their life, no matter what they claim. There will always be somewhat of a preference based on how something looks, no matter what they say. So anyone who gets upset or makes fun of you for making something look they way you want it is a hypocrite to some degree. i am not just talking about firearms either.

I used to think otherwise but have grown up since then.

huntsman

September 7, 2013, 05:51 PM

^ all my guns are stone cold stock except 1, I went with a Hogue grip not to look cool but to manage recoil and better fit. I did swap out the pick guard on my bass but only after I found one for 50% off. :)

Officers'Wife

September 7, 2013, 06:28 PM

Except for the recoil pad on my Enfield and the grips on my Commander all of mine are as they came out of the factory. The only thing I've put on them is wear.

dmazur

September 7, 2013, 06:50 PM

Well, I'll have to confess to adding different grips to my Commander, too.

And having a couple of Ruger No. 1's rebarreled / restocked to get a more weatherproof setup. (Black GunKote and laminated instead of the original blued & walnut.)

So, I suppose I fall into the "jeep" category (using my previous analogy.)

I believe I am tolerant of those who think guns are like tuner cars, but I sure am not in that camp myself... :)

KTXdm9

September 7, 2013, 07:14 PM

its what pleases you -- it is your $$ after-all (taxes and fees are paid)

This

ArmedOkie

September 7, 2013, 07:20 PM

...most of the so called functional junk isn't actually functional in the real world anyway. If the military doesn't use it then its no good... if it worked in the real world the military would be using it.

I have one argument with this...
the venerable 223 cartridge
Such a POS

I'm already in my flame suit and waiting for you, AR boys :neener:

all in good fun, of course! ;)

Marvinash

September 7, 2013, 09:05 PM

The Zombie comment is the one that hit home. I like good looking guns. Tactical guns, collector gems, innovative designs. But I hear too many grown men talking about "zombies" a little too seriously. It's disturbing.
Being out at the range and seeing all the ARs dressed up like Barbie dolls may be fun - and of course it's your money - but maybe I'm sensitive to the image gun owners project at a time when the anti-gun tactic is to contend that were all carrying unnecessarily dangerous firepower to satisfy some delusional belief about impending threats that don't exist.
They do exist, but it's harder to make that argument when we give the opposition media ammo in the form of zombies or equally absurd tho imaginary enemies that require tactical gear that they see no reason for.

And POS.223? With all the accolades the AK47 earned in Vietnam, the response of the Russians at the close of that war was to take that weapon's .30 caliber cartridge and replace with their own version of the high velocity .22s, the 5.45x39mm in the AK74: the only major change in over 50 years.

dmazur

September 7, 2013, 09:46 PM

...venerable 223 cartridge

And, as I understand it, the conditions changed in Afghanistan and Iraq. When long range was needed to reply to the bad guys shooting old bolt-action Enfields and the like, our troops wanted the M14 back again.

Advantages of low-recoil firepower and lightweight ammo aren't always advantages, in other words.

I believe the Navy still has a few M14's (or even NATO compliant Garands) for shooting mines.

The mistake to avoid, IMO, is assuming that any weapon is versatile enough to handle everything.

Back to thread topic -

If you're going to modify a gun, I would first choose to make it more accurate, or more reliable. Better-looking would be last on the list. (And, in re zombies, I thought Hornady's Zombie Max ammo was a Photoshop prank. But no, it wasn't... zombie ammo (http://www.hornady.com/ammunition/zombiemax))

Marvinash

September 7, 2013, 11:56 PM

I'd never speak ill of the M14.
I was in country 6 weeks when we turned in our M14s. Those of us with combat MOSs had been trained on the new weapon, and it seemed pretty cool at Ft. Ord. But having it handed to me in VN was disconcerting. In our particular location, a battle rifle would have served us better than an assault weapon.
You're right. The idea if a single universal weapon for all branches under all conditions limits situational effectiveness.
But the .223 a POS? Hardly.

If loving your gun brings you to obsessive perfection in technique and maintenence, dress it up!
But the morons who do go mad dress up like the Joker; create Goth freak cults with imaginary threats and play with serious tools like they're paintball fanatics.
Maybe living in CA has cost me my sense of humor about mocking the threat posed by those who have the political leverage to marginalize those of us who take the 2nd Amend. as an unassailable right.
The worst laws passed here were based on guns that "looked" scary to someone with too much power to legislate and too little knowledge of the real damage they've done.

Archie

September 8, 2013, 12:05 AM

Knowing full well that beauty or cool is in the eye of the beholder, I think it's just fine to alter the appearance of a firearm to suit one's personality, shooting style or sense of cool.

I've never been one for bicycle reflectors in the grips, a lensatic compass built into anything, or a whistle to call one's horse integral with the hammer spur. However, I do appreciate good finishes (blue, primarily), attractive and functional grips and even modest and tasteful engraving. In general, I'm a simple, 'less is more' kind of fellow.

Most of my alterations have been to make the device more 'shootable' for my style and mode of shooting. Typically I've put better sights (visible, not adjustable or 'night') on my pistols. Also altered and replaced grips for better control. Someday I'm going to get something engraved. But probably no jumping deer, antelope or nekkid women.

Dr.Rob

September 8, 2013, 03:23 PM

It's yours, do with it what you want.

I use 'slipover' flashhiders on 2 of my AR's (Colt 6920 and a CMMG 22) to get that XM-177 look and to 'just be a little different'. If my rifle is in a rack with a bunch of others (a LOT of AR's look the same) I know which one is mine instantly.

Adds a little weight up front, and once I loctited them down my accuracy improved. A LOT of people think they are some 'special caliber' because of the snouty look of the front end--I get asked about them at public ranges a lot.

PS: ask Justin if his 50 rd Black Dawg mag is practical, or his TOOL sticker

Ha. Note that the sticker itself doesn't change how the gun works, it's unobtrusively cool. The same can be said for engravings and the like. I don't have an issue with personalizing or tactical-izing, or coolifying a gun, just so long as it doesn't mess up how the gun works.

The drum, on the other hand, generally works, so long as that rimfire upper is clean (it wasn't the day I had it out.) Admittedly, I bought the drum mostly because I wanted to make a political statement.

Dr.Rob

September 9, 2013, 01:41 AM

So where on the cool vs. practical rainbow does Curtis' boar-spear 12 ga. muzzle brake fall?

desidog

September 9, 2013, 12:43 PM

http://i42.tinypic.com/adck14.jpg

Everyone has one in red...

/Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder.

jimmyraythomason

September 9, 2013, 02:09 PM

The key part of your question is "your gun"....it doesn't matter what I or anyone else thinks...It's your gun. If you like it, then do it. Yep,this goes for sporterized misurps as well. It doesn't matter to me,nor should it, what you do with YOUR property. I do what suits my tastes with my stuff and I think you should have the same option. Paint your classic American Muscle Car any color you want. Get a gosh awful tattoo if you want one. Get that 1916 Luger nickel plated if that's what you want. It is nobody else's business!

460Kodiak

September 10, 2013, 01:59 PM

I don't have an issue with personalizing or tactical-izing, or coolifying a gun, just so long as it doesn't mess up how the gun works.

Exactly. All mods in my mind must at least be practical. It is even better though when they enhance the usability of the gun.

A good example is grips. You can get some pretty nice stuff. My favorites are Badger grips and Nills grips on a revolver. You can get grips that look absolutely beautiful, and "cool" as hell, but they also can enhance your grip, controlability, and thus your proficiency with that revolver.

benEzra

September 10, 2013, 02:11 PM

The Zombie comment is the one that hit home. I like good looking guns. Tactical guns, collector gems, innovative designs. But I hear too many grown men talking about "zombies" a little too seriously. It's disturbing.
Do you feel similarly about serious Cowboy Action Shooting/SASS aficionados? If not, why not?

RetiredUSNChief

September 10, 2013, 11:38 PM

GoWolfpack showed me a pic a few months ago of a pistol being advertised for sale online. Self-described as a "Zombie Gun", I can't remember what it was...but I DO remember the God-awful welding job on that pistol which, for want of a better description, was kind of like extending the trigger guard all the way down to the bottom of the pistol grip.

Only it was a cheaply done job with absolutely no artistic talent evident. Might as well have been a piece of angle-iron welded on.

We got a huge laugh from it. We've both looked for it and unfortunately couldn't find it...nor did we save a copy of the pic.

I remember suggesting that he print a copy of it to show to a local gunsmith as a way of screening him for trustworthiness. Show him the pic and ask "Would you make a gun like this?" If he says "no", then he'd know the gunsmith is somebody he can trust not to do something stupid.

:evil:

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